The APPSC Assistant Statistical Officer examination under brief Notification No. 20/2026 (15 September 2026) is a single-level online test (CBRT). There is no screening test, whatever the number of applicants, and no interview in the scheme as notified. Two objective papers, equal in length and marks, decide the merit list. This page gives the scheme as the notification states it; the syllabus behind each paper is on the syllabus page and the recruitment overview on the ASO exam guide.
The scheme of examination
| Paper | Subject | Questions | Marks | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper I | General Studies and Mental Ability | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Paper II | Subject (Statistics) | 150 | 150 | 150 |
| Total | 300 | 300 |
Every question carries one mark. The standard of both papers is degree level. The test is conducted online (computer-based recruitment test, CBRT); if it is held in several sessions, the Commission applies normalisation of marks, with the method announced by APPSC at the time.
Negative marking
The scheme carries one-third negative marking: for each wrong answer, one-third of the marks assigned to that question is deducted. Arithmetic from that rule, not advice: with one mark per question, a wrong answer costs 0.33, so three wrong answers cancel one right one, and a question left blank costs nothing. The cut-off page works through a full example.
Time per question
Also arithmetic: 150 questions in 150 minutes is one minute per question in each paper, with no separate reading time stated in the scheme. In Paper II, where numerical questions can take two or three minutes, the one-minute average has to be earned on the definitional questions. Practise each paper as a separate 150-minute sitting.
What the pattern means for strategy
Our reading of the scheme, not APPSC's:
- Two equal halves. General Studies and the subject carry identical marks, so neglecting either costs the same. Most candidates come in stronger on one side; the scheme rewards the one who levels up the other.
- No screening round to survive first. Every applicant sits both papers and competes on the 300-mark total from day one. There is no cheaper first stage to prepare for separately.
- The penalty is mild but real. One-third per wrong answer is lower than a half-mark penalty, so a reasoned guess between two options is worth taking; a blind guess among four is not.
Key dates from the notification
| Item | Notification 20/2026 |
|---|---|
| Brief notification | 15 September 2026 |
| Online application | 13 October to 2 November 2026 |
| Provisional posts | 196 |
| Exam date | Not announced as on 11 October 2026 |
The detailed notification, with fee, age and the break-up of vacancies, was due by the application start date; those items are not on this page because the brief notification does not state them.
What this page does not have
- The exam date; APPSC will announce it by a web note on its recruitment notifications page.
- Minimum qualifying marks, if any, for the written papers; read the detailed notification.
- Fee, age limits and the vacancy break-up; they belong to the detailed notification.
- The normalisation formula; the notification says the method will be announced if the test runs in several sessions.
Related: Syllabus · Cut-off · Preparation strategy · Andhra Pradesh state guide